Mountain Review: Ski Cooper
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria
8
Snow:
7
Resiliency:
3
Size:
3
Terrain Diversity:
5
Challenge:
2
Lifts:
8
Crowd Flow:
4
Facilities:
7
Navigation:
5
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
1-Day Ticket: $65-$95
Pass Affiliation: Powder Alliance
On-site Lodging: No
Aprés-ski: Limited
Nearest Cities: Denver (2.5 hrs)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Snow quality
Lack of crowds
Great views of multiple 14ers, and near a great mountain town
Some of the best beginner terrain in the state
– Cons
No high-speed lifts
Short vertical drop
Lack of expert terrain
Some frustrating navigation logistics
Altitude that can be overwhelming for some
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 5
Trails: 64
Beginner: 19%
Intermediate: 27%
Advanced/Expert: 54%
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Mountain Review
Looking for an escape from the crowds at Colorado’s destination ski resorts, but still want some great high-alpine snow and views—as well as a great family-friendly vibe? Set your sights on Ski Cooper, which is just south of some of the most popular Summit County ski resorts in the state.
Ski Cooper is one of the most historic ski areas in the country, having been the training grounds of the famous 10th Mountain Division for World War II—but unlike many of its newer competitors, it hasn’t expanded into a massive destination in recent decades. This modestly-sized ski area is no substitute for a true fly-to mountain, but it offers some of the local soul and empty slopes that many competing mega-resorts lack.
Snow Quality and Resiliency
With a base elevation of 10,500 ft, Ski Cooper is one of the highest ski areas in the country, and the ski area gets some great snow because of that. Although the resort lacks snowmaking entirely, powder days and soft snow can be almost expected at Ski Cooper.
Ski Cooper’s front side and Piney Basin zones offer the most reliable opening schedules, with lifts in these areas typically spinning from December to early April. The newly opened Tennessee Creek Basin zone, which faces south and consists of steep glades served by a T-bar, opens a little bit later in the season; if you want to ski some of that terrain, look to visit in February or March.
Despite a lack of snowmaking, Ski Cooper receives good snow accumulation and tends to maintain its natural base well.
Front Side and Piney Basin Zones
The front side and Piney Basin zones are served by a double and triple chair respectively, and they service some of the best beginner terrain in the state. Long green and easy blue runs offer soft snow with great views of some of the tallest peaks in the country, making for much more picturesque mellow slopes than one’s run-of-the-mill ski area. These runs also offer easy access to reasonably-spaced trees, making Ski Cooper a solid place to progress into glade skiing.
Ski Cooper’s intermediate trails are generally on the easier side, and some black diamond runs can be comfortably done by the typical intermediate skier (although while a rotation of runs are groomed every day, most black diamond runs are left for the whole season to bump up). A few marked glades are great for beginners and intermediates, and the black diamond runs of Timberbash, Corkscrew, and Powderkeg offer some great warmups for skiers looking to see if they’re ready for the harder Tennessee Creek Basin terrain.
Ski Cooper has many groomed runs to keep beginner and intermediate guests happy.
The front side’s terrain is very low angle, and provides great learning and beginner terrain with good opportunities to learn tree skiing and powder skiing due to the rotating grooming. There is a small feature terrain park on the front side, but people looking for bigger jumps and features should look anywhere else in the region. The Piney Creek triple serves slightly steeper terrain, with some small steep sections and some areas with wide spaced trees and a few mogul runs, though they aren’t long by any means.
TRAIL MAP
Tennessee Creek Basin
Tennessee Creek Basin is the hardest terrain zone at Ski Cooper, and is served exclusively by a brand new T-bar that allows for some very fast laps. The mix of steep trees and bumps and the drag lift on the ride up make for some very tired legs and a great cardio workout, despite a vertical drop of about 700 ft. The runs get steeper and shorter as you go further skiers left, although all runs offer tight trees and at least 25 degree slopes.
While marked as double-black diamonds, the runs in this area are typical in pitch and technicality to single-black runs at most large Colorado destinations. Ski Cooper does not offer any truly extreme terrain, and skiers and riders of advanced proficiency should be able to handle everything on the mountain.
Ski Cooper is easy to get around thanks to its small size and good signage.
Lift Infrastructure and Navigation
With the exception of the aforementioned T-bar, the lifts at Ski Cooper feel like some of the slowest around. The 10th Mountain Chair, which serves the front side, requires an over 11 minute ride, and the Piney Basin Chair mandates a 10 minute ride. Other Colorado ski resorts do involve some lifts with similarly-long ride times, but they usually cover twice the amount of terrain.
While getting around Ski Cooper is very easy due to the three pod setup, there are a few frustrations. One of these involves getting from the base to Tennessee Creek Basin, which looks like it should be possible by going up the 10th Mountain Chair to the summit; however, this chair doesn’t go all the way to the top of the ski area, making it very hard to access Tennessee Creek Basin unless you skate or pole uphill. Ski Cooper will likely put in a new frontside chairlift in the next few years, but for now, this is a bit of an annoyance.
Another frustrating navigation issue is reaching the Corkscrew and Timberbash trails, which offer some of the best glade skiing outside of Ski Cooper’s Tennessee Creek Basin area. The Motherlode Flats trail, which provides the only access to these woods, lives up to its name—and with fresh snow, getting to these runs can be a slog.
The facilities at Ski Cooper get the job done for this modestly-sized ski resort.
Altitude
While Ski Cooper’s terrain may be friendlier to beginners than most Colorado destinations, the resort isn’t ideal for those who aren’t used to higher elevations. The 10,500-foot base elevation gives Ski Cooper the fourth-highest base elevation of any ski resort in North America, meaning that even experienced skiers or riders may find themselves unexpectedly struggling on the slopes due to the thinner air. We’d recommend that guests drink lots of water and exhibit extra caution before attempting anything risky.
On-Mountain Facilities
The base facilities at Ski Cooper are nothing spectacular, but they’re more than adequate for a ski area of its size. The ski area offers an Irish Pub and a taproom at the singular base lodge, as well as the typical cafeteria fare.
One highlight of Ski Cooper’s food options is the Ridgeview Café. This upper-mountain lodge, located at the top of the 10th Mountain chair, offers reasonably priced on-mountain food and drinks. We’d especially recommend the lodge’s chili and mulled wine, which work together to warm not just your body, but your soul.
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR SKI COOPER
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Recommended intermediate ski
Recommended advanced ski
Recommended glade ski
Recommended powder ski
Mountain Aesthetic and 14er Views
Ski Cooper sits at an incredibly high elevation amidst some of the most prominent peaks in the Rocky Mountains, and resort guests will enjoy excellent mountain views from the slopes. Just south of Ski Cooper lies Colorado’s two tallest mountains, Mount Elbert and Mount Massive. Both of these peaks are visible from the slopes—especially Mount Massive, which lives up to its name. From the slopes heading northwest, Mount of the Holy Cross takes over the horizon, though its namesake “cross” lies on the other side of the mountain.
Other than the base area, there aren’t many other developed areas visible from the slopes—meaning that despite Ski Cooper’s small size, it offers a somewhat isolated and unique feel.
History
Ski Cooper is also oozing with history, as it was essential in the development of the 10th Mountain Division during World War II, of which many members went on to create many other famous ski areas such as Vail. Some pictures in the base area tell some form of their story, and just a few miles north of the mountain is Camp Hale, where they were stationed, and is now a National Monument.
Many areas within Ski Cooper offer great views of some of the tallest peaks in Colorado.
Crowd Flow
Despite the low lift capacity, lines are rare at Ski Cooper. The out-of-base double attracts the longest lines, but on the busiest days, the resort also spins a nearby platter lift, allowing access to the backside without the long lift ride. The Piney Basin triple sees even less lines, and the T-bar in Tennessee Creek Basin moves people very quickly.
Overall, visitors will rarely find crowds on the mountain, although short frontside lines can build up on the busiest days.
Reciprocal Pass Access
Perhaps more than anything else, Ski Cooper has made headlines over the past few years for its decidedly generous partner roster on its reasonably-priced season pass. For $379* with an in-advance purchase, Ski Cooper pass holders get three reciprocal days at a whopping 56 ski resorts across the US and Canada, as well as an additional three international mountains. Combined with the economical cost of entry, these access benefits have effectively turned the Ski Cooper season pass into an appealing multi-resort pass product for some who barely even plan to spend time at Ski Cooper itself.
*Price as of the 2023-24 season.
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR SKI COOPER
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Recommended intermediate board
Recommended advanced board
Recommended expert board
Recommended powder board
Getting There
Like other central Colorado ski areas, Ski Cooper’s closest city is Denver. With no traffic, the resort is just over two hours from the Denver International Airport—however, weekend drives often come with serious backups on I-70, the main highway to the resort. Visitors can also fly into the Eagle County Regional Airport, which is just over an hour from the resort but typically pricier to fly into.
Unlike many larger competitors, Ski Cooper offers convenient and plentiful free parking right at the base. However, drivers should watch out for large potholes.
Lodging and Aprés-ski
While Ski Cooper does not offer any on-site lodging, the ski area sits 15 minutes from Leadville, a history-filled town that still has the old school charm that is lost in so many other mining-turned-ski towns (**cough cough** Breckenridge and Park City). There are some cool old west-type bars and newer breweries, as well as a variety of places to eat—although there aren’t really any party spots.
If you go north from Ski Cooper rather than south to Leadville, you can find lodging in Red Cliff in about 20 minutes (passing by Camp Hale National Monument), Minturn in 30 minutes, and Copper Mountain (not to be confused with Ski Cooper itself) in 35 minutes.
Ski Cooper can’t compete with the Colorado destinations in terms of size and infrastructure, but it offers a nice, local charm and lack of buildup.
Verdict
Ski Cooper offers something that’s becoming increasingly rare in Colorado—a small local feeling mountain with fantastic snow and a great nearby town. While most folks won’t want to plan a weeklong vacation here, the resort stands out from the destinations in its easy-to-handle footprint and lack of crowds. With ticket prices below $100—and many ways to ski there for cheaper—Ski Cooper is a great deal for families looking for an easier mountain, that also still has fun terrain for more advanced skiers.
Pricing
Day passes at Ski Cooper top out at $95 at the ticket window, but there are also many deals, such as $30 Thursdays, $50 online purchases tickets in April, $65 pre-purchase Weekdays, and $80 pre-purchase weekends. In addition, the Ski Cooper season pass is filled with reciprocal deals from mountains across the country, so if you have a season pass to your local hill, there’s a chance you may have three free days of skiing at Cooper!
Colorado’s Cooper Ski Area has announced heavily discounted early-bird 2020-21 season pass prices. But for those primarily interested in the cheap access to partner resorts, the pass’s assurance policy is risky.